Chapter Two: Scared to Death

"Alright, got it!" Zhao Dabao was easygoing by nature. At Ning Shuyi’s words, he instinctively agreed and quickened his pace a little. But he soon realized something was amiss. "Wait a minute! What do you mean by ‘clear rewards and punishments’?"

Ning Shuyi waved her hand, unwilling to explain further. "Unless you want him to help you with physical training too, don’t ask. There’s no need to dig so deep."

Hearing this, Zhao Dabao sensibly refrained from pressing the matter.

Although he was only of average height in the police force, he’d never once lagged behind in physical assessments. He was especially good at running. Whether for pride or for show, he’d never consider asking someone for help with physical training.

The two of them hurried downstairs. At the entrance, a tall, upright figure stood by the door. Even in casual clothes, he exuded an inexplicable air of formality.

Ning Shuyi waved him over and pointed toward the parking lot. "Huo Yan, second row, fourth white SUV."

Huo Yan glanced in the direction she indicated, nodded coolly, and strode toward the car without waiting for them.

Zhao Dabao quickly dug out the keys and remotely unlocked the car from a distance. By the time they reached the vehicle, Huo Yan was already seated in the back.

Ning Shuyi, unfazed, took the passenger seat. Zhao Dabao drove. On the way, he couldn’t help but sneak a few glances at their new colleague in the rearview mirror. Huo Yan remained silent throughout, sitting straight-backed and expressionless, gazing out the window.

Their destination this time was a popular private cinema in W City. Small in scale, it was beloved by young people for its superior viewing experience and frequent screenings of indie or horror films not shown in mainstream theaters.

Ning Shuyi had previously planned with her friends from the Criminal Police Division to find a time to visit together, catch an interesting film, and join the crowd for fun. But their schedules never aligned. Ironically, her first visit would be in a professional capacity.

The cinema was tucked within a bustling shopping district, hidden inside a large mall. Like everyone else, Zhao Dabao drove straight to the back entrance. There was a direct elevator here—convenient, efficient, and less likely to attract unwanted attention.

The private cinema was on the ninth floor. As they exited the elevator, the manager was already waiting, his face clouded with worry. Upon learning they were the officers sent to investigate, he couldn’t help but pour out his troubles.

"Who would’ve thought that running a cinema, we’d encounter something like this! The movie ended and the audience left as usual. Our cleaning lady went in and saw someone still sitting in the back row. She thought the person had dozed off, went over to wake her up, and—who could have imagined—found her dead!"

The manager was beside himself with anxiety, clapping his hands and gesturing wildly. "Those two cleaning ladies were so frightened, they nearly lost their own lives—screaming and running out for help. The commotion even scared away the customers about to enter the next hall!"

"The screening halls all have surveillance, right?" Ning Shuyi asked.

In a large cinema, this was a given, but for a smaller private venue, it was worth confirming.

"Yes! All equipped—with night vision, too. Check anything you want! Whatever you need from us, we’ll do our utmost!" The manager hurried to assure them. "Now, all I can hope for is that after your investigation, you’ll find she died of something unrelated to us. If not, our business is finished!"

No one could guarantee that, so neither Ning Shuyi nor Zhao Dabao replied. Huo Yan remained silent as ever. The manager continued to grumble as he led them to the screening room where the incident occurred.

To the manager, the death of a stranger was less concerning than the future of his livelihood, and Ning Shuyi picked up on this from his complaints.

It seemed likely that the scene would be exceptionally clean—no obvious signs of foul play, nothing gruesome or alarming. It would appear to be a natural or accidental death.

Otherwise, the manager would be too shaken to worry about the future of his business.

Sure enough, upon entering the screening room, everything was as she’d guessed. Everything was in order, except for the body of a young woman reclining quietly in a single seat at the back corner. There was nothing terrifying about the scene.

Ning Shuyi glanced back at Huo Yan. His expression was somewhat tense, but she was certain he wasn’t the type to be unnerved by a corpse. As a sniper, his psychological resilience was surely exceptional. Most likely, it was just the discomfort of facing a new work environment—understandable even for this legendary marksman.

The screening room could accommodate about thirty people. Before they entered, the manager had mentioned that the film being shown was a new, highly acclaimed horror movie from T Country, which had been trending online. The theater was nearly full, with only five or six empty seats.

By coincidence, the seat where the deceased had sat was in a slightly isolated corner, with several empty seats beside it. Otherwise, the body might have been discovered sooner, rather than by the cleaning staff after the movie ended.

Ning Shuyi walked past the front row, careful not to disrupt the forensic work, and took a closer look.

The deceased appeared to be a young woman, about twenty-five or twenty-six, slender, with chestnut hair that was now somewhat disheveled. Her face showed traces of makeup—eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara—all present, but her lips were bare, lacking color, pale as her face.

She was slumped awkwardly in the seat, as if contorted by convulsions before death. At her feet lay an expensive designer handbag, makeup, keys, a phone, and popcorn scattered across the floor.

The forensic expert on scene was Dr. Zhang, seasoned and experienced. Upon seeing Ning Shuyi, he grinned. "Ah, Xiao Ning, here to work the case? I’ll test your skills—can you tell what happened?"

Dr. Zhang was especially fond of Ning Shuyi’s broad knowledge. He always liked to quiz her, almost in a mentor’s fashion. She was used to it, and since he’d asked, she took the opportunity to voice her own doubts.

"Dr. Zhang, judging by her posture, the victim obviously experienced convulsions before death. But it’s not opisthotonos, so strychnine can be ruled out. I noticed popcorn scattered on the ground and wondered if she might have had epilepsy, suffered a seizure during the movie, and choked on food, causing asphyxiation.

But that doesn’t seem right—people who die of asphyxiation have cyanotic lips and faces, not this pale complexion. Beyond that, I can’t tell. Is it possible to determine the cause of death at this stage?"

Dr. Zhang nodded with a smile. "Your deductions are quite accurate. My preliminary judgment, based on various characteristics, is that the cause of death could be sudden cardiac arrest."

Ning Shuyi was taken aback. "Are you saying she was literally scared to death by the movie?!"